Chapter 37

“Thank you for waiting.”

“No trouble at all. I'm getting paid for it, after all.”

Peron spoke as though he had no interest, but stole a glance at the pouch the old man had brought.

“Judging by how long it took, there must have been quite a few bidders. Well... it certainly warrants it. Where on earth could something like that have come from?”

“Wouldn't you know that better than we do?”

Peron grinned at his reply.

“Since you said ‘we,’ I take it the Enkila Clan participated too.”

“Talk too much, and your tongue won't be the only thing you lose.”

“Of course. To stay in this business, you have to keep your mouth shut and stick to the job you've been given.”

Peron accepted the pouch. Its considerable weight suggested no ordinary sum.

“I don't know who your client is, but pass this along. They've made quite a spectacular debut, and now everyone's interested.”

“As I told you, my job ends with putting it in the depository.”

With that, Peron handed the pouch to Woojin.

“Hey, keep that safe.”

“Yes, sir.”

Woojin took the pouch and put it in his inventory.

“We'll stop by again.”

“Do. The big spenders will be waiting.”

“Heh heh... If they're so eager, why not help me get established on the central continent?”

Peron gave the silent old man a cold smile.

“What? You're curious, but you don't want to get mixed up with bottom-feeders like me?”

“Everyone has their place.”

“Their place, my ass... We all pay to play the same game. Fuck your hierarchy.”

Peron yanked the door open.

“You people might run the central continent however you like now, but that will change someday.”

“Why don't you save that talk until you've actually reached the central continent?”

The seasoned K remained utterly unruffled by his provocation.

“But if I were you, I wouldn't even think of setting foot there. Just enjoy the game in the Dark Forest, where it's easy. The central continent is no place for the likes of you.”

GRIND.

Peron's cheek twitched.

‘I've seen people on the forums talk about how hostile the established players on the central continent are to newcomers, but...’

Woojin watched the two of them in silence.

SLAM!

Peron slammed the door behind him and stormed away, huffing. He kept up his hurried pace all the way out of the village, seemingly unable to contain his anger.

“This should be far enough... So, what did you think of my acting? They bought it too, right? We managed to leave the village without looking suspicious. Hee-hee.”

Once they entered the forest, Peron grinned at Woojin as though nothing had happened.

“Whew... More importantly, you saw the amount, right? Seventeen hundred gold... I've never seen that kind of money change hands at the black market.”

Currency in [Evil Tale] could also be traded in the real world, with one silver reportedly worth one dollar.

“One gold is a hundred silver, so... converting that gives us...”

A hundred and seventy thousand dollars.

That was over two hundred million won.

GULP.

Having done the math, Peron swallowed involuntarily. The figure seemed to hit him even harder than receiving it in gold had.

“Seriously, every time I see something like this, it stops feeling real. They say items on the central continent's marketplace start at a million won...”

With every item worth such an enormous sum, the central continent was, in a sense, a stage where one could seize the chance to turn one's life around.

“I never thought I'd actually see an item worth hundreds of millions of won... Who on earth bought it? Surely no one outside the ten great clans could afford that kind of money.”

“Well, someone who needed it, I suppose.”

“Then I'll head straight to Parta and pretend to put the pouch in the depository.”

“Pick up the item while you're there, too.”

“Understood.”

Since Woojin already had the proceeds, Peron decided to split up with him to shake off any possible watchers.

“I'll see you at Hundred Flowers Valley.”

Woojin nodded and disappeared into the forest.

DING.

It happened just then.

[You have received a message.]

[You have received a message.]

[You have received a message.]

[You have received a message.]

[You have received a message.]

[You have received a message.]

...

“... Whoa.”

Peron's notification window began chiming like mad.

[Greetings. I'm from the Paragon Guild...]

[Pleased to meet you. I'm with the Uldan Alliance...]

“Well, would you look at that. They're going crazy. Must really have their asses on fire, huh?”

Watching the messages pile up, Peron couldn't help chuckling.

It was extraordinary.

Until now, he had done nothing but bow and scrape before powerful figures in the hope of reaching the central continent. They had always seemed so far above him.

Yet now those very same people were making all this fuss to secure his help.

‘Have I ever had this much fun before?’

Without realizing it, Peron glanced in the direction Woojin had gone.

“He's definitely... going to make something happen.”

Strangely, he found himself looking forward to it.

* * *

“Did everything go well?”

On his way toward the snowy region where Hundred Flowers Valley lay, Woojin found Ruen waiting for him deep in the forest.

“Yes. Better than expected.”

“Honestly, I'm not sure bringing that man in was a good idea.”

“Why? Because he used to kill people?”

Woojin chuckled at her.

“By that logic, you and I have killed people too.”

“We're different! We did it because we have a goal.”

“So does he. He might even be pursuing his goal more doggedly than we are.”

“Can we trust him?”

“This isn't about whether we can trust him. The first thing you should look at when employing someone is their ability.”

“What will you do if he betrays you?”

“Ruen, if you ever mean to lead others, remember this. When dealing with people, don't start by worrying that they'll stab you in the back.”

He spoke as he recalled the Ruen he had met in the other world, the one who had become queen.

“Look at their abilities first. If you need those abilities, put them to work.”

The force in his voice made Ruen tense involuntarily.

“Then make yourself equal to the task.”

Become so strong they wouldn't dare betray him.

Or earn their trust so they would never think of betraying him.

“Or, if they betray you anyway...”

Woojin's voice was as cold as a honed blade.

“Crush them so thoroughly they can never get back up.”

GULP.

Ruen swallowed hard without realizing it.

“And for that, you'll need power.”

Woojin took something out of his coat.

“Use this when we reach the hunting ground.”

“What's this?”

Ruen tilted her head at the worn scroll he had produced.

As soon as he received the proceeds from selling the [Dragon Mana Stone] from Teron, Woojin had quickly opened the marketplace and purchased two items on his way out of the village.

This scroll was one of them.

Name: Lesser Growth Scroll

Grade: C

Description: When used by a player of level 50 or below, doubles experience gained for three days.

Each one cost a staggering fifty gold—over six million Korean won.

Unless someone was rich enough to spend that kind of money without a second thought, or a super rookie backed by a guild, they would scarcely dare use such an item.

“Th-this...”

Even Ruen, an NPC, knew how valuable the scroll was.

“Peron will take a few days to draw attention away before coming here. Three days, just like it says on the scroll. You'd better be ready.”

“Yes. I understand.”

As though steeling her resolve, Ruen tightly gripped the scroll Woojin had handed her.

* * *

[ROOOOAR!]

A huge monster bellowed, its gray fur so long that it covered its face.

They were in the snowy region on the road to Hundred Flowers Valley.

‘So this is the hunting ground Peron mentioned.’

“We're supposed to... kill that?”

Ruen's voice trembled as she watched the monster roam about, snorting.

“Of course. Yetis are the weakest things here.”

GULP.

She tightened her grip on her bow.

‘With the level gap, I suppose it's only natural.’

After all, this was effectively the Dark Forest's final region. All the monsters that spawned here were level 40 or higher.

To Ruen, who was only level 30, everything was bound to feel intimidating. The “Lv.43” floating over the creature's head looked terrifying.

[Trait: Adventurer activated.]

▶ Gain 15% additional experience for one day when hunting in a new region.

▶ Deal 10% additional damage when fighting a monster encountered for the first time.

As the faint light faded, the cold of the snowfields began sweeping over them.

“Don't let its level scare you. It's just prey.”

Woojin tore the scroll.

[You have used a Lesser Growth Scroll.]

▶ Experience gained is doubled for three days.

CRRRRK...!

Despite her earlier trembling, Ruen drew her bowstring the moment Woojin finished speaking.

Instead of her old wooden bow, she held one with a silvery sheen. It was the other of the two items Woojin had bought on the marketplace.

[Sigmund's 89th Bow]

One of the works of Sigmund, the most famous blacksmith on the central continent.

Despite being a mass-produced level-30 item, it performed better than most level-50 drops on the central continent.

FWOOSH...!

Flames flared at the arrow's tip.

FWEEEE!

The arrow flew with a deafening shriek and blew the yeti's head clean off with a heavy thud.

“Whoa!”

Ruen gave a small cry, apparently startled by her own bow's power.

“Money well spent.”

Woojin was just as impressed.

‘If a mass-produced item is this powerful... just how good are his masterpieces?’

Sigmund had created three masterpieces. Kerga owned one, but the other two remained without owners.

Every ranker wanted them, but money alone couldn't secure one of Sigmund's masterpieces.

[Arms That Choose Their Own Masters]

It was said that a quest would appear only for someone the weapon acknowledged.

“Hmm.”

His interest was beginning to stir.

“It's not dead yet!”

Ruen suddenly raised her voice.

It had looked as though the arrow had pierced its head, but when the spray of snow settled, the yeti emerged with its arms crossed in an X over its face.

The arrow was embedded in its crossed wrists, not its head.

[GRRRR...]

Growling, it forced its arms apart and snapped the arrow.

BOOOOM!

Then it stamped forward with all its might, making the ground heave.

[Trait: Valor activated.]

▶ You are protected from fear.

Despite the intimidating sight, Woojin's mind grew colder and calmer.

Then his body moved.

[...GRR?!]

Just as the yeti tried to charge Ruen, who had shot the arrow, it toppled to the ground.

The fallen creature raised its head in confusion. Its body had lunged forward, but both legs remained standing where they had been.

[GRAAAAAH...!]

Belatedly realizing that both its legs had been severed, the yeti began thrashing and screaming.

SHUNK.

Woojin's sword plunged squarely into its forehead.

Even a monster with such immense vitality could do nothing but go limp and collapse as the blade buried in its head savagely churned through its brain.

FWOOSH...!

As he swept his sword through the air, flames sprang up.

‘One, two, three, four...’

Woojin counted the yetis surrounding him, looking disappointed.

“Try screaming a little louder. Loud enough for your friends to hear.”

[GRRR...]

The yetis faltered, seemingly frightened.